Foot-power device.



' 9N. 709,435. l Patented sept. le, |902;

` G. P. .LARK & G. H. nAvls.

FOUT PUWEVR DEVICE.

.Impplication med Apr. 2, 1900.)

. (no Model.)

' UNITED `STATES PATENT FFICE) {GEoReE P. CLARKAND eEoReE HowLETyTDAvIs, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

i `FooT-Powlan DEVICE.

`SPECIFIJCATION `forming"part of Letters Patent N o, 709,435, dated September 16, 1902.

l l Application filed-April 2i 1900. Serial No. 117.111. (No model) To dlwhom it Zitcty concern: l

Be `it knownthat` we,-GEoRGE P. CLARK and GEORGEIIowLETT DAVIS, citizens of the United States, residing at New York, in the Qcounty of New York and State of NewYork,

have invented 4certain new and usefull Imi proveniente in Foot-Power Devices; and we `do hereby declare the following to be a full,

` clear, and exact description of the invention,

`siich aswili enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

`This invention relates to pedal driving mechanislm'and has for ils object to provide improved andsimple mechanism adapted 1.o beoperated by the ,feet, by means of which the alternate` reciprocating' or oscillating e e movement of the.` feet is converted into coutinuous rotary movement.

The primary object of the invention is to l l furnish a cheap,`simple`, and elective means for driving -the operative parts of a self-playing musical instrument; but it will be obvi- Hous that the device maybe employedfor furnishing power for various dilerent prposes.

`Touthis end our invention consists in the features and in the construction, combina- ".improved driving mechanism.

tion,and arrangement of parts hereinafter described,.and particularly pointed out in the claims following the description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,wherein- Figure 1 is a View in side elevation of our Fig. 2 is a `view in front elevationthereof. Fig. is a detail view illustrating a modified form of Uclutch, and Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view Fig. 3 separated..

1 1 f `lo` i showing the parts of the clutch `illustrated in In many different `forms of self-playing i musical instruments known on the market. as automatonsapulley '7 iselnployed,th1ough the medium of a'pinion S, `for propelling a music-sheet which controls the m usic-playing apparatus, and a second pulleyi) is employed f for driving a drum which actuates vthe music- 4playing devices,*and we haveshown our presfentinvention adapted` to such au arrangement; but i't'willbe evident-that it could be v.indicates a shaft, which may be journaled in any suitable fixed support, and has fixed thereon two pulleys 2 and 3, the pulley2 be ing a relatively small one and the pulley 3 a relatively large one.`

ln practice the pulleys 2 and 3 may be conlveniently made in the form of one pulley having two parts of unequal diameters; but for the sake of clearuess we have referred herein to the pulley as being two separate pulleys.

Fixed to the .small pulley 2 is one end of a` strap 4, the other end of which is attached to a foot-pedal 6, and fixed tothe large pulley 2% is one `end of a strap 5, the straps LLand 5 being wound about the respective pulleys in vopposite directions, as shown' in Fig. l. It will be evidentthat. the movement olf the pedal 6 will impart a relatively large move- .ment to the 'strap 5.

The pulley 7 is -fixed on a shaft l0, journaled in any suitable lixed support, and is connected to the pulley9 by `an endless belt 11. Attached tothe free end of the strap 5 is a clutch constructed as follows: The numeral 12 indicates a U-shaped member straddling the belt 1l and having a iiat portion 13, which is adapted to engage one side of said driving-belt. Pivoted intermediate its ends, between'the ends of the member l2, is a tongue or pawl l4, the inner end ot, which is adapted to engage the other side of the driving-belt ll and hind the lati ter inlo engagemeutwith the dat portionl of the member 12. The free or outer end of the tongue or pawl is weighted, as at l5, and the end of the strap 5 is attached to said weight, as shown in Fig. l. l

The operation of the device constructed as is drawn upward and raises the weighted end` of the pawl or tongue and causes its 'inner end to impinge the driving-belt and bind' it again-st the fiat face 13 of the clutch member `12'. The strap 5 as it is wound about the pulley 3 raises the clutch, andasthe latter grips the-driving-belt in the manner described it moves the driving-belt with it. When the pedal reaches the end of its downward movement and the pressure of the foot or feet is removed therefrom, the weight 15 throws the pawl or tongue 12 outof engagement with the driving-belt and causes the clutch to descend,

which then slips idly over the driving-belt..l

The downward movement of the clutchwinds up the strap 4 about its pulley 2 and raises the pedal 6.

In the modified construction shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the clutch comprises a U shaped vmember 16, which straddles thedriVng-belt lland is provided with a straight'edge 17,f

end of Which is secured to any suitable iix. In this form ture below the end of the strap. of the device the spring normally operates to hold the gripping edge 17 ofthe clutch out of engagement with the driving? belt 11; but when the strap 5 is drawn upward by the pedal mechanism said gripping edge is forced into engagement with the driving-belt and grips the latter between said edge and the plate 18, thus causing the driving-belt to move upward with the clutch. When pressure is removed Vfrom the pedal the spring causes the clutch to release the belt and draws the clutch down idly overv the belt.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a weight is employed to release the clutch and move it downward, while in the arrangeployedfor the same purpose.

Having vdescribed our invention, what we claim is 1. In a device for transmitting motion -che :combination with a strap or belt, of a clutching member arranged to act upon one side thereof, a second clutching member pivotally connected 'to the first-named member and having a gripping edge arranged to act upon the opposite side of the strap or belt, means normally acting upon the pivoted gripping member to throw the gripping edge thereof out of contact with the strap or vbelt and to move the clutch idly over the belt, and means combination with a belt to be driven, ofa y treadl'e having a strap secured thereto at one end, a loose pulley to which the other end of said strap is secured, a second strap secured to said loose pulley, and a clutch device secured to said second strap, said clutch device comprising a member disposed on one side of the belt, a clutching member pivotally connected to the first-named member and having a gripping edge arranged to act upon the belt 0pposite said first-named member, and means normally acting upon said pivoted member tothrow the gripping edge thereof out of contact with the belt and to move the clutch idly over the belt, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE P.A CLARK.

GEORGE HOWLETT DAVIS. Witnesses: i

` JULIUS GOLDWATER,

LoUIs SILvnsTEIN. 

